The West Platte football team relied on a big defensive performance to successfully defend its tobacco stick with a 24-6 victory over North Platte at Rudolph Eskridge Stadium in Weston on Sept. 11.
The result keeps the tobacco stick in Weston for a third straight season, West Platte’s longest streak in over a decade.
After a tentative start to the contest, a 26-yard reception from junior receiver Dalton Burns moved West Platte deep into North Platte territory late in the first quarter. The Blue Jays advanced the ball inside the 5-yard line, and after getting stopped up the middle, the Blue Jays let sophomore Oliver Schwartz run to the left for a 1-yard score to give the hosts a 6-0 lead.
North Platte pieced together a drive deep into West Platte territory, but the Blue Jay defense came up with a critical fourth-down stop to turn the ball over on downs.
Senior quarterback Mark Sanders evades a defender in West Platte’s rivalry win over North Platte.
West Platte quickly struck to make it a two-score game in the second quarter when senior quarterback Mark Sanders juggled the initial snap before racing down the right side for a 68-yard touchdown run. Brady McMillan converted the two-point conversion to give West Platte a 14-0 lead.
After getting the ball back with 2 minutes, 9 seconds remaining in the first half, West Platte put another scoring drive together despite an 18-yard loss on the drive’s opening play, which was later made up for by a 38-yard reception from senior receiver Blaze Masoner on third-and-15.
Another 30-yard Masoner reception put the Blue Jays inside the 5-yard line, eventually ending the half with a 17-0 lead when sophomore kicker Macklin Bolling hit a 20-yard field goal as time expired.
The Panthers came out firing in the third quarter, putting together their best drive of the contest.
North Platte eventually cashed in on the drive when junior running back Jonathan McCracken scored from a yard out to get the visitors on the board to make it 17-6 with 8:33 remaining in the third.
After forcing a punt, North Platte had the opportunity to make it a one-possession game. After converting a pair of fourth-and-short plays and returning to the red zone, West Platte’s defense came up with another turnover on downs to maintain its 11-point advantage.
“We knew it was going to be a battle; we knew they were going to test us in some areas,” West Platte head coach Taylor Gallagher told the broadcast on West Platte Sports. “We really challenged our team this week.”
The challenges throughout the week weren’t just on the field, but also when the pads were off. The football team, and all West Platte sports and activities, were preemptively forced to take an off day while law enforcement searched for a person of interest.
“We had the weirdest week in practice and school probably since I’ve been here as a coach,” Gallagher said. “To overcome that, lose a day of preparation, and for the kids to come out and play like they did, really, really proud of that.”
West Platte’s only score of the second half was a brutal blow for North Platte’s comeback hopes. After a run-heavy drive that started at West Platte’s 16-yard line, the Blue Jays made it 24-6 as Sanders capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run to the left.
The defense of West Platte had another statement as they forced another turnover on downs, this time without letting North Platte cross midfield with under five minutes remaining in the contest. With the clock melting to under a minute, Bolling pulled a 31-yard field goal from the right hash marks wide.
Cuin Vincent supplied West Platte’s last defensive statement as he forced a fumble while sacking the quarterback inside the North Platte 10-yard line. Xander Shroyer recovered the fumble, allowing West Platte to conclude the game in victory formation.
“Defense finally played a little bit like West Platte football,” Gallagher said. “There were some plays that looked reminiscent of the last year where we’re really hitting people hard and we’re flying to the ball.”
Sanders had a big night offensively with his legs, as demonstrated with his second-quarter touchdown run. Masoner and McMillan also impressed as constant threats with big-play ability.
“Coming in, we talked about making them have to earn points,” Gallagher said. “Nothing big, nothing cheap, nothing silly. We were able to kind of feel it out and had to have a big night for some of our seniors.”
The Blue Jays’ win was the fourth consecutive over North Platte, including last year’s district championship. It was also the first time West Platte had held North Platte to single digits since 2014.
Off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2021, West Platte now prepares for a trip to Hamilton where they will face Penney (2-1) on Sept. 18 before visiting Mid-Buchanan (3-0) on Sept. 25. The Blue Jays return home for Senior Night on Oct. 2 against Plattsburg (3-0).